I really need a thread where I can ask all your sage advice about stuff since you can't always find the answers in a book and I don't really know many people with children.

I am starting to look at nursing bras - how do you know what to buy, size-wise? Prepregnancy I was a 32C, now I am a 36D, I just have no idea what to get. Do you have suggestions on nursing tanks/shirts? I saw thishttp://www.stockholmobjects.com/womens-nursing-wear.html website featured on a blog and the idea seems really awesome, but at $50 for a tank top I really don't know if I should splurge and really, I won't be able to buy more than one or two.

Yay for this thread, thanks littlebear! I do not know anyone with children..besides you all on the PPK.

I am not planning on buying any special tops for nursing and see what I can do with what I already own. Some of the tanks look like regular (Old Navy or H&M like) tanks where the top can pull down easy. I think for exposure reasons I might be more comfortable going up the shirt and having a tank on under a shirt and just deal that way. I have never breastfed before so I am no expert but so far, this is my take.

I got a few nursing tanks from Target which were great (not least because it was hilarious to see the baby get excited when she heard the little clip pop), but mostly I just wore low-cut or loose tops and pulled them down as necessary. I got one or 2 nursing bras at Motherhood before baby was born and then ordered a few more from Bravado, which were more ace-bandagey (sexy!) so I wasn't as concerned about not being able to try them on beforehand. I know you're not really supposed to wear underwires when nursing but I went back to my regular larger-size bras after a few months anyway, and just pulled those down too.

I think for exposure reasons I might be more comfortable going up the shirt and having a tank on under a shirt and just deal that way.

I do this a lot, but with a nursing tank. I didn't buy a nursing bra until about a month postpartum, because my boobs were in a constant state of flux until then. In that time a nursing tank was great for me because the sizing wasn't too specific. I don't have enormous jugs though (I'm a D now), and I'm sure it's different for everyone.

I am still taking prenatals while I nurse, simply because I would be taking a vitamin anyway, so I've continued on the prenatals because I know they have everything poopiebaby and I need.

Bravado bras and tanks were (and still are) my lifesaver. I was a 36DD before baby, and now I'm hovering around 38DDD (but I was up to 40F/G right after birth). They are pricey, but if you search you can find good deals on certain colors and sizes on the internets. You can definitely live with less, but mine were/are so huge that I needed a lot of support, and they were worth the price. Plus, they're very stretchy, so I've been wearing the same size from my first trimester to now.

I have huge boobs that can only be described as jello-y in texture, and I tried on more or less every nursing bra in existence prior to buying any. I absolutely HATED the Bravado ones that everyone else seems to adore and which I had a billion recommendations for... I found them to be both hugely unflattering and not supportive enough for me.

So I ended up with some Medela underwire bras that I think they don't make anymore. They got me through the first six months or so. I bought one in the size I was when the Emperor was born-- something crazy like a 42F/G-- and one closer to my starting size. It was really nice to have two different size options because seriously, I had huge boob size fluctuations in the early months.

After about six months, when my size stabilized, I went back to my pre-pregnancy bras sized up one cup size. My experience has been that after I learned how to nurse, there was really no advantage to nursing specific bras and I felt a lot more comfortable and attractive in my nice super supportive normal bras.

As for shirts, I think I have two nursing specific shirts and I don't care for either of them. All nursing tanks have been epic fail for me. I think a lot of people do a normal shirt over a normal tank, pull the normal shirt up, pull the tank down. My solution is to pop a boob out the neckhole which sounds impossible but which works for me!

littlebear, you're small enough that you could probably get away with off-the-rack nursing tanks (I know, we are now in a bizarro-world where 36D is on the smaller side) but larger-busted ladies might want to go get fitted and get something more heavy-duty. I was a 36DDD for a long time after my little guy was born and I didn't think the Bravado bras were supportive enough for out-of-the-house wear BUT the nursing tanks would have been awesome for chilling out at home - they're a lot more supportive than the Target tanks. I was just too broke to fork out for them at the time but I wish I had. I also had a Medela bra that was more structured that I loved, and later I had a few fancier ones. I had friends who just wore their regular bras later on, but my girls would destroy a regular bra with all the ins-and-outs. A good bra shop or even a lactation consultant might have a selection of good bras to try on - you can always buy online after that if you find a better price. I went to get fitted around 38 weeks and they could make a pretty good guess based on that what my postpartum size would be.

A nice solution I found for nursing out and about when I didn't want to let it all hang out was to wear a nursing bra and then layer two "long & lean" tanks from Target - the top one pulls up easily and then the one beneath keeps your tummy covered but they're not too bulky. I pretty much had no modesty after a while and would wear anything where I could "pop a boob out of the neckhole"! Too funny, coldandsleepy!

I have no nursing or pregnancy bras. I have 2 tanks that I pretty much wear exclusively when I am at home, and I love them. I have a sports bra that I wear out, as I can easily pop a boob out over it. I usually wear 2 shirts for the same reason as everyone else - keep a bit covered up. And I have one normal non-underwire bra from VS that is easy enough to shove under a boob as well, if I want them to look like actual boobs for one reason or another ;)

Re: prenatals, I kept taking them for like... maybe the first 2 months I was nursing. Then I ran out and just could not bring myself to buy/take more. The Emperor turned out fine, so I guess it was ok!

I also found the tanks invaluable for the 2 days I spent in the hospital after birth. No way in heck was I putting on a proper bra, and I didn't want to just whip out a tit in front of visitors!

Oh and prenatals: I didn't take them for the first 5 months after BabySneakers was born, but my nails have gone to shiitake since I stopped taking them and it's driving me mental so I'm back on 'em. I really should have been taking them this whole time anyway, as I wasn't taking any vitamins at all. Oops.

I keep meaning to find some more prenatals. I could tell there was a health difference when I ran out, but I lost my coverage and didn't feel like paying for the prescription, and all the ones I've found in stores are nonvegan, and it's never been important enough for me to order online.Re: tops, I'm small-chested(30A before, 32C now) and really prefer my regular old tank tops with the "built-in bra" that's really just an elastic band and a tube of fabric. I have one nursing bra, and that's plenty for me--I think nursing bras feel weird. I can just pull down the tank top and we're good. Hell, I bought a regular bra that's a 32C, and even prefer that over the nursing bra.

I do not know if this is OT, but man o man, what do I do about a car seat? I do not own a car, but will take trips in a car with the baby (most likely) and will travel to the US and drive there. Do I rent a car seat when I rent the car or do I bring my own? Do I need a car seat with a base attachment? Any suggestion on a seat brand for a city dweller?

you are in the uk, itsboiling, so car seats are a bit different there. however, for a non car owner, there should be some cheaper seats available for occasional use.

this site http://www.childcarseats.org.uk/types/index.htm has some info. i would probably go for a 0+ seat (birth -29lbs) as that will rearface your child for the longest period of time and doesn't require a base. i definitely wouldn't recommend getting a bucket seat, as they are outgrown quickly and not really necessary for your purposes.

if you're having the baby at the hospital, how will you get it home? do you need a car seat for that trip, or could you possibly just not buy one right away and see when you need it?

i always found sports bras to be more comfortable than nursing ones. as far as maternity clothes goes, i just upped my sizes and looked to plus sized clothing. it was cheaper and since i varied in sizes most of the time, it was an easy fix. if you have a once upon a child store in your area, i suggest you go--lots of great deals.

littlebird, I believe I need one to get the baby home, I will be taking a car service home. I will look at the website, thank you! I want to get something of good quality while not spending too much money as it will not get a lot of use.

I know in the US you can rent car seats when you rent a car. A friend of ours is going to Disney with their twins and rather than going down with two car seats is renting them there.

I've always heard that you should buy new car seats, but my partner asked why that would be necessary - I mean if a car seat was in an accident, the straps would still work properly, right? I get making sure the model wasn't recalled etc., but if its a good car seat do you really still need to buy it new?

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

I know in the US you can rent car seats when you rent a car. A friend of ours is going to Disney with their twins and rather than going down with two car seats is renting them there.

I've always heard that you should buy new car seats, but my partner asked why that would be necessary - I mean if a car seat was in an accident, the straps would still work properly, right? I get making sure the model wasn't recalled etc., but if its a good car seat do you really still need to buy it new?

From what I have read it is like buying a used bike helmet. If it was in an accident, even if everything still works, the integrity is lost. I hear a lot of different advise, basically buy everything you can used (if you want) except a car seat and crib.

edit: but then again, lots of they people who recommend that also say it is OK to use these items with a second child. So, maybe if you know where you are getting it from (a good friend) it is different than buying it at Goodwill or something?

I get that, but I am wondering why the integrity is lost- with a helmet you might have invisible cracks that could open up under far less pressure than a new helmet could withstand, but surely that isn't the case for car seats?

I have heard the same advice, but my partner had the issue. We'll buy new, just to be safe, but I was curious as to why the integrity is lost?

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

car seats are fine to use when you know the history (as long as they haven't expired). but the purpose of a car seat is to absorb the forces in a crash, so they are meant to be replaced after EVERY crash, even a minor one (if there was any damage to the car, there is a possibility of damage to the seat). they do actually work a lot like bike helmets that way. given the way i see seats installed and used in my city on a regular basis, no way would i trust that someone wasn't selling me a crashed car seat, let alone a seat that hasn't been stored in extreme temps, incorrectly cleaned or otherwise misused, all of which can compromise the safety in a crash.

^- right, this.. Though I haven't heard the crib thing - maybe it's just that safety standards have changed so much in the last few years? Most used cribs are going to be drop-side, and those are apparently infant-killing machines now even though we all survived them just fine.. ;) I've heard to stick with a fixed-gate crib and make sure the rails are close enough together.